Reunion
by LaBaronessa
Summary: Whoo! Five years after the Blade Breakers went their separate ways, Ray gets them all together again to find Kai. From there, things happen, obviously. RaiKai later on, read it if you like normal universe stories.
1. Kitten

Disclaimer: I do not own any BeyBlade or anything or stuff like that. Yeah. So... I thought this was going to be a one shot, but apparently it's not. XD Enjoy the first chapter that is getting submitted to someone for a contest... two minutes ago! :D

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**Act 1: Kitten**

Just because he had a dream about them, didn't mean he missed them. Why would he miss a bunch of loud, over enthusiastic, over emotional, and over clingy boys? Kai's eyes slitted open as he turned over in his bed, lying flat on his back and staring up at the cold gray ceiling above him. Sunlight streamed cheerfully in through a slender opening between thick, heavy curtains and stretched across the bed like a bright banner, perhaps to remind him of the past. A happy past? The man's face pulled down into a frown as he pulled himself up and dragged long fingers through his hair, yawning. "Ridiculous."

After all, it had been five years since he last saw the other members of the group. He had long gotten over any of this 'sadness' that had slowly curled its fingers around him in the first months he was alone again. After all, he was Kai; he was used to being alone. Drawing the sheets back, he placed bare feet on the cold, stone floor and stood up, stretching back before grabbing a shirt from the dresser and throwing it over his lean body. Either way, they hadn't tried to contact him in the years that had passed. It was clear the others had continued on with their lives just as he had continued with his.

Or was it the fact he had conveniently forgotten to mention where he was going to be when they all finally parted ways…?

Kai shook his head, the barest of smiles tracing over his lips before it disappeared to be replaced by his usual stoic expression. He threw open the heavy curtains, pushing them to the side and staring across over the snowy expanse that made up the back lands of his home. Yes, it was his home now. Again, the flutter of a smile crossed his face, this time a bit more sardonic and less gentle. That part of his past was over too, he didn't need to dwell on it. Turning briskly, Kai moved away from the cold, bright sunlight and walked out of his room, stepping into the cold, bright hallway; his thoughts already consumed by what he would be doing that day.

--

So, what would he think? Ray looked at the rest of the group as they lay sprawled on top of one another in the hotel bed. It had been his idea; they had all been apart for so long it seemed only natural for them to have a reunion, right? Ray stretched, watching as the sun broke over the cityscape and slowly leaned into the room, splaying warm fingers over his skin. A pleased smile slid over his face. Well, at least the look on his face would be interesting.

The Chinese man stood and bent over in a deep stretch, twisting to make sure his body was as limber as ever. It wasn't really anything that he needed to be worried about because he was always certain to keep his body in good shape; but with the prospect of seeing an old friend again, he didn't want to be shown up.

There was a groan on the bed and Ray looked over to see Tyson throw an arm on top of the messy blond head that belonged to Max. He chuckled and moved closer, leaning over the bed with a grin.

"C'mon guys, it's time to get up." There was another groan and some mutters. "Don't give me that Tyson, if you even want to try to go up against Kai, you've gotta get up and train." There was a pause. "And breakfast is free, but it's only open for another half hour."

That got a response. With a shout and a tumble, Tyson rolled off the bed, dragging a disgruntled Kenny with him.

"I'm up! I'm up! Imagetbreffas…."

Ray laughed, "Not in your boxers you're not. Get dressed and take a shower."

"I thouyousaid that breffas was gonna end…" Tyson gave Ray a suspicious, blurry scowl.

"I lied." He grinned. "But since you're up," he grabbed the younger guys arm and shoved him in the bathroom, "you might as well shower."

There was a crash and the room filled with curses; Ray closed the door and turned to see Max sitting up, the sheets a tangle around his legs. Sleep-filled blue eyes flicked around in confusion before finally settling on the pleased looking Ray.

"Wha.. where's Tyson?"

"Wrestling with the bathroom-" there was another crash, "and losing."

--

"I can't believe you got me up when the _sun rose_." Tyson glared at Ray, speaking around a bite of sausage… or was five?

"Well you told me to." Ray pointed his fork at Tyson and continued seriously. "Remember, we have absolutely no clue where Kai lives. We can't exactly just go up to anyone and ask, either."

"I don't see the problem." Another bite was shoved in with the rest, "Just look for the biggest, coldest and ugliest house around. Kai's got terrible taste."

"He's got a point." Max laughed, "Kai is pretty rich, isn't he?"

Kenny frowned, "Wasn't that his grandfather?"

"That old bat? I thought he went to jail…" Tyson had finally swallowed, and his face was scrunched in dislike of the thought of the man.

"Then wouldn't the money go to Kai?" Max looked over at Ray, followed by Tyson and Kenny.

The dark skinned man laughed, "Why are you all looking at me? Kai didn't give me his address either. I don't know where to find him."

"Then… how are we going to find him?" Kenny suddenly seemed to realize the situation they were in. "You mean to tell me that you dragged us all the way to _Russia_ and you don't know where the person is that we're looking for? How are we even going to attempt to cover this area?" He waved his fork at Ray frantically, "How are we going to get back?"

"Whoa, Kenny, I think your voice just hit a new record high note." Max patted him on the back fondly, "Don't worry about it. You've got a plan, right Ray?"

Tyson turned to Ray and nodded, "Of course he's got a plan. After all, if anyone can find Kai it's Ray… you've got like… a tracking device in you set to find the guy."

Ray laughed, embarrassed, "I wouldn't go that far guys. I just got the feeling we'd find him here. It seemed to make sense…"

"Well, if he were anywhere, he would be here." Kenny put his fork down and scratched his head, moving his hair out of his eyes briefly before the locks fell back over them again. "Well, how about this. You've all got phones. I'll stay put and see what I can find on the net… the rest of you could… maybe… spread out and see what other information you can find?"

"Oh right, we should just go around asking, 'Hey, have you seen a really cold man who has lighter bangs than the back of his hair and who scowls all the time?'" Tyson snorted.

"Exactly!" Max grinned and suddenly grabbed a hold of Tyson's shirt and dragged him from the table. "So let's go!"

"Gah! Let go of me! I haven't had fifths!"

--

"_Mew._"

Kai stopped and looked down the alley, breath crystallizing in front of him. There was a rustling behind a pile of paper and a head popped out. The kitten shook its head, shaking its body in entirety and falling over. It looked up, focusing pure green eyes on the man and mewed as loud as it could, demanding attention. Kai breathed out watching as his puff of breath dissipated into the air before turning down the ally.

--

It was almost noon and they still had no luck. Tyson had already started complaining loudly about wanting food. In the five years they had been separated, he certainly hadn't changed. Even over the phone he was as loud as ever. Ray mussed up his hair, disgruntled by the sixth call he had gotten.

"Listen, Tyson, just wait another ten minutes, alright? I'm almost back at the hotel." He shook his head as the other complained. "I don't _care_ if they're giving a discount. I have the money, remember? You couldn't get any anyway, and don't you dare waste our funds on food. We need it for other things. Tyson? Tyson are you listening to me?" The flat tone at the other end made Ray give a wry grin. "Of course not." It was silly to assume that Tyson would listen to him. Tyson didn't listen to anyone.

Dropping the cell in his pocket, followed by his hands, he looked up to the almost white sky and sighed. "It is impossible, isn't it?" It was foolish of him to drag the rest of the group over on a wild goose chase for someone they hadn't seen in five years and who had also made no efforts to contact them.

"_Mew_."

Ray glanced over as he started to pass the dark space between buildings but paused as a scene met his eyes. Someone was petting what appeared to be a straggling alley kitten. The kitten was feisty and mewed again, demanding the person pet faster as he batted at their hand unsteadily. He smiled a little, taken aback by the slight tenderness in the cold winter streets. The kitten mewed again, bumping up against the other man's leg so that he shifted slightly.

Ray stared for a minute. "_Kai?_" The person turned fully, raising a pair of unmistakable eyes to the other. Ray grinned, "It's been a while."

There was a silence that deepened with drifting snowfall before Kai stood with the kitten in his hands, turning to face Ray. "It has."


	2. Ah, the ol' times

**Author's Corner:** Hahah... so I suck at updating things. XD;; But! That's alright, because you've got another crappy, short chapter. :D I've got a plot now too!! So don't you worry, this is actually going to go somewhere instead of aimlessly meandering along before I suddenly decide that 'Oh hey, this really should do something,' and no, I won't tell you what the plot is... you'll have to figure it out yourself. You might be able to get me to give you hints though... if you ask nicely. ;3

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own any of Beyblade so none of the characters in this story belong to me. The characters sitting in the cafe/walking on the sidewalk/standing in the background belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Kazuki Takahashi and CLAMP, respectively. :D

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**Ah, the ol' times**

An uncomfortable silence stretched over the table in the hotel restaurant where they all had congregated after Ray brought Kai back.

"So, uh," Kenny started, "What… have you been up to, Kai?"

"Living."

"Done anything… interesting lately?"

"Not anything you would appreciate or understand."

"Heh…" Kenny paused. "It's uh, awful nice of you to take care of that kitten…"

"It reminded me of someone."

"Who?" This time it was Tyson who spoke up, stuffing a roll into his mouth.

Kai seemed to grimace. "Certainly not _you_."

"Tyson, don't you ever stop eating?" Kenny frowned at the other young man, adjusting his glasses so that they sat correctly on his nose.

"I can't help it, I'm still growing!"  
Max laughed. "The only thing still growing on you is your stomach!"

Ray leaned back, a vague smile on his face as he watched the atmosphere relax; it was almost visible. Kai seemed to still have his same intimidating air that had ruffled Tyson's feathers when they first met, but it only took a few taunts from the others before things seemed to fall back into place. The only thing that had changed was that everyone was older. Their personalities mashed the same way they had before, and Ray was reminded of the old times. The battle of wits that Tyson never realized that he was in until after he had lost, Kenny's frantic opinions and Max's laughing over it all, it was all part of the group they had been in.

"So tell us," Max leaned forward and grinned, "is there a special lady that you've got Kai? Is that who the kitten reminds you of?"

Tyson snorted, "Please. Even if there was a girl that was interested in Kai he'd end up chasing her away with that scary look on his face."

"I guess I'm not trying hard enough." Kai's fingers gently stroked the kitten's head. It was sleeping in his lap, purring so loudly that Ray could hear it from across the table.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're still here, I need to try harder so you get scared away, Tyson."

The black haired man the comment was directed to grit his teeth and growled, "Is that the kinda gratitude we get for coming all the way out here just to find your cold ass?"

"I didn't ask to be found."

"That's right, you conveniently forgot to tell _everyone_ where you lived."

"Now now, Tyson, we shouldn't be getting so upset over something so little." Max laid a hand on the other's shoulder, holding him in his seat before he leaped across at Kai. "We _were_ the ones to barge in unannounced." He smiled at Kai. "Just thought it'd be good to see you again, Kai. It's pretty obvious you're doing well."

Kai leaned back in his chair, letting his crimson eyes move away from Tyson and over to Max. "Yes. I am." He paused for a moment before adding, "You seem to be doing well as well, Max."

"Yeah!" The blond grinned widely, "Mum and dad have been taking good care of me! I went over to the States for a while, to check out mom's new technology. Beyblade might have died down over the years, but the world is still growing. They've got quite a few new products."

Kenny took this moment to pipe up, "Beyblade hasn't died down, really, it's just on the back burner right now. According to my calculations it should be making a comeback pretty soon again. Just like everything else has."

Tyson snorted and slouched in his chair. "Even if it does die completely, I'm still the champ and always will be the champ."

"Of course, Tyson." Max chuckled, reaching forward and taking a roll. "But it's been so long since we've been in a tournament… I almost miss it. If it weren't for all those little kids taking over, I'd still be there, letting it rip." He smiled. "I still use Draciel, but it's not the same, you know? Not without you guys."

"Yeah well, I can do without all of you." Tyson once again opened his big mouth. "I've been doing just fine and using Dragoon on a daily basis." He smirked.

"Yes well, Tyson, you teach kids how to blade. Of course you use Dragoon all the time." Kenny sighed, pushing up his glasses.

Max blinked in surprise, looking over at Tyson. "Wait, you teach _kids_ how to blade? Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

Tyson fairly beamed, "Yeah I teach kids… and it wasn't that important to talk about. But hey, I've gotta earn a living somehow."

"You're actually making money off that?" Kai sounded unimpressed.

"Yeah, at least I work for my money." Tyson shot back.

The Russian just gave a faint smile, unperturbed by the insult.

"How many times have you lost to those kids, Tyson?" Ray asked, his voice finally joining the company of the others; a grin was settled onto his face much like that of a satisfied cat.

"Lost?" Tyson sputtered, "I don't battle the kids! It would be an unfair advantage… unless of course they _want_ to battle me. And then I never lose. Besides, I'm the World Champ! There's no way I'd lose to some scrawny brat."

Ray laughed, "That's some love you've got for teaching…"

"Hey, there's nothing more satisfying than knowin' that I'm teaching those kids how to battle like I do." The brown eyed blader smirked, jamming his thumb into his chest.

"Diving right into a match with no thought about how you're going to win isn't exactly the best thing to be teaching kids." Kai raised an eyebrow. "Unless you're actually using your head? Then again, I'm not sure if that's a better prospect or not."

Tyson looked as if he were about to eat Kai's head off before he clamped his mouth shut with a scowl. "Y'know Kai, sometimes I wondered what you were up to these five years we were apart, but now I know! You've been honing your 'cold ass' technique."

"You guessed it, Tyson." Kai let a thin smirk stretch over his mouth, remembering why he hadn't left any of them a way to contact him. He had forgotten how much the group had irritated him, particularly Tyson. His eyes were drawn to Ray has the other laughed, the smirk turning into an undisguised frown.

"It's just like it used to be, isn't it? I forgot how well we got along." Ray beamed at all of them, as if this was the most amusing thing in the world.

Kai raised an eyebrow. _This_ was getting along? He hated to think of the cat-like man's definition of not getting along.

Max spoke up next, "Yeah, this is great guys! Just like the old times." He smiled, having finished his roll just before speaking. "We should do this more often, I missed you guys." He flashed a grin and whipped off Tyson's hat, placing it on his head.

"What we really should do," Kenny clattered away on his computer, "is put you guys back in a tournament. Now _that_ would be fun."

"Are you kidding?" Tyson snatched his hat back, "We'd demolish the other teams! It wouldn't be fair to them." He grinned.  
"You're right, Tyson, with our stunning good looks and celebrity status, we'd sweep through the competition like taking candy from a baby." Max leaned forward, his famous smile still sitting on his face. "It would be fun though, to do that again."

"Well," Kenny wheedled his voice in slyly, "there _is_ another tournament coming up soon… you know… you could defend your places as World Champs."

"Really?" Max leaned over Kenny's shoulder and let his blue eyes skim over the page that the other had up. "Oh wow! It's way more fancy than what we had before!"

Tyson leaned over Kenny's shoulder again, eagerly drinking up the information on the website. "Oh man! That would be totally fun. We should do it guys! Defend our place, get back to the top and-"

He was silenced as Kai suddenly stood up, his chair clattering back. The man stopped and gave each of his past teammates the same cold, crimson stare that had stopped many others in their tracks before turning to leave.

"Kai?"

He looked back to settle his gaze on Ray for a moment before turning away again. "You forget, it's been five years. We're not teammates anymore. I have my own life to run, and you all have yours. It's time you stop looking back in the past and grow up." With that, Kai swiftly moved from the café they were sitting at, leaving the group staring after him.


	3. A Challenge

**Disclaimer:** I do not own BeyBlade or any of the characters in it... o.O So, I'm sorry, I can't write you silly silly fangirls into the story.

**Author's Note:** Sorry it took so long everyone! I've been very busy. x.x I hope you enjoy this chapter though; any suggestions and comments and love and critique is fully welcome! ;D

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A Challenge

"Kai!" Ray pushed through the doors of the café and looked around for the other male. He spotted him as he was walking away and caught a brief moment where the other turned to glance back. A frown passed over his features before he turned away again; Ray sighed to himself and set off jogging after his old teammate. "Hey! Hold on a second!" He dodged a few people, excusing himself as he went. Kai was still walking. Did he really not want to talk, then? Ray frowned and moved faster until he fell into step with Kai, "You really aren't interested in being around the group anymore, are ya Kai?" He chuckled a little, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets to keep them warm since he wasn't sure how long he was going to end up following the other. When Kai didn't respond, Ray slanted his gaze over to see if he could tell what he was thinking. "I'm sorry if we inconvenienced you at all, or if this came at a bad time… we were just curious about where you were and how you had been doing."

"As you can see, I'm fine."

"Of course." Ray grinned and set his gaze forward. "I'm not surprised." Even if the response had been cold and sharp Ray was glad that he got any sort of response at all. If Kai had continued to not speak he would've left him alone, but now that he got the other talking he knew that he wasn't completely unwelcome.

Kai turned his head to look at Ray. "If you knew that I was going to be fine then why did you come at all?"

"I need a specific reason for wanting to see an old friend? You're harsh, Kai." Ray glanced over with a small smile, locking eyes for a moment before he shrugged and looked away. "Well, I would've have written to find out how you were doing, but I didn't know exactly where you were living." He tossed a grin at Kai, "So I couldn't exactly do that."

Kai grimaced at the small reminder that he hadn't given any information even to Ray about where he would be going. His eyes turned down to where the kitten was huddled in his jacket for warmth. The kitten had locked its claws in his shirt and buried its face as deep into the bend of his arm as it could go without suffocating. He might have smiled if Ray wasn't there with his keen eyes watching him. Instead, the crimson eyed man looked straight ahead to where he was going, pausing at an intersection. "Yes well. I didn't want to be bothered."

Again, Ray gave that grin. The quick flash of a grin that could knock a fangirl senseless. "Sorry to bother you."

Kai looked away. "It's too late to apologize now."

"Should I have apologized before it happened?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Then when should I apologize?"

"Just don't."

"Alright."

Kai glared at Ray as the other grinned like a satisfied cat, his face turned away. He shifted the kitten in his arms and for a moment he wondered what he was doing with the miniature cat. The animal would probably be better off with someone else... letting his eyes fall back to the small animal, he stared at it for a moment. It was sleeping, warm and content in his arms.

"So he likes you."

Kai jerked his head up, "What?"

"The kitten." Ray had leaned over and was now peering down his old teammates jacket, just enough so that he could see the kitten. "Fell right asleep in your arms."

Kai moved away from Ray, pulling his scarf down over the opening in his jacket so that neither him nor the other could peek down again. "Your point?" He had forgotten about how close and touchy the group was, and the close proximity of the other made him feel more than slightly uncomfortable. He took another step back before realizing that the light had changed and they could cross. He quickly moved to the other side of the road.

"It means that he trusts you already, that's good Kai." Ray stayed right behind him, relaxed and confident as anyone might be when seeing an old friend.

Kai looked over at Ray, his eyes narrowed slightly to make it seem less like he was watching him. It didn't matter anyway, Ray was looking around him. Did the cat-like man ever get nervous? Was he just putting on a facade? When Ray turned his head back to look at him, Kai cast his eyes ahead again. "I still fail to see the point in what you're saying."

Ray laughed a little, his voice sheepish. "There is no reason for it Kai. Just an observation."

"Nn."

Silence shrouded itself around the pair again as they walked briskly down the street. Ray sighed to himself, finding that this wasn't going as well as he had hoped. It wasn't like he had expected a welcome with tears and hugs and talk of 'the old days,' but he certainly hadn't expected to feel like they had just met again. His hands, even though they were stuffed in his jacket, were beginning to get cold. He'd probably end up turning back soon if nothing continued to be said. He had to go back to the others and make sure they were okay, and figure out what each person was doing. But... just a little bit longer, he would wait just a little bit longer.

"How long are you going to follow me?"

Ray blinked over at Kai, but he was still staring ahead. "Hmm.." He thought for a moment, looking up at the frozen sky. "As long as it takes for you to get tired of me, I guess."

Kai glared at him, but it wasn't nearly as cold of a glare as it could be. "You're bothering me."

"If I was bothering you, you wouldn't say anything. You'd just keep walking."

"What makes you say that?"

"That's what you've always done, Kai." Ray replied wryly.

"Maybe I've changed."

"I don't think so, not that much."

Kai fell silent. "You don't think I've changed?"

"Not really.." Ray stopped and added, "Well actually, now that I think about it, you've reverted back to your cold, I-care-for-no-one stage..." He eyed Kai up and down, "You learned to dress better." That got a good glare. "And maybe you're a little bit more businesslike than you had been before. No time for your friends or family."

"I don't have any friends or family."

Ray frowned. Kai was determined to keep him out, and if he was that determined then it wouldn't be right to keep imposing on him. It wasn't fair. "Well, if you say so." The black haired blader stopped in the street. "I guess I should head back then. Tell the others that we should leave and whatnot." He smiled at Kai when the other turned to look at him, stopping as well. "So, see ya." He turned to go.

"Wait-Ray-"

He turned back around. "Mm?"

Kai stared at him for a moment before he grimaced. "You're freezing."

"How do you know?" Ray quirked an eyebrow.

"I just know. I'll get you a ride back to the hotel. Come with me." He turned and began walking away again.

That was probably the closest thing he'd get as an apology from Kai. Ray grinned and moved after the other. Well, it was better than nothing. And once he was inside Kai's home, he'd probably end up staying a little bit longer than intended. Well, longer than Kai intended. Ray had already planned on figuring out exactly what was going on inside the others head and life. So... all he needed to do was wait. And he could wait.

--

"Well this place doesn't look any different than that one place we came to try and rescue you from a while ago..." Ray looked around at the spartan stone walls and floor, peering up at the ceiling where a few lanterns hung, casting their flickering light into the shadows.

"That would be because it's the same place."

"What?" Ray stared at Kai. "You mean you just... you came _back_ here after all that?"

Kai raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Ray as he opened a heavy, oak door. "Is that so surprising?"

"Well, after all that happened...-"

"There's no reason for me to not come back here. It's just a building; there's nothing to be afraid of in here." He motioned for Ray to walk into the room and followed him, closing the door behind them.

"Well no, not if you look at it like that." Ray wandered into the room, comforted by the surroundings. It was a study, obviously, with a few chairs, a large fireplace and many lanterns lining the walls. These ones were fueled by electricity, so their light didn't waver, but they were controlled by a dimmer switch that was apparently on the lower end for the brightest light came from the fire that crackled merrily at the other end of the room. If one could call a fire burning in such a solemn place 'merry'. The floor was covered in rugs, softening their steps to dull pats, and there was a table that was covered neatly with papers and books. Ray grinned to himself. Leave it to Kai to have such a neat workplace. He turned around to see Kai setting the kitten on the floor, watching it take a few lumbering steps forward before it bounced over to a chair and clawed its way up into the seat where it sat regally and stared at them. "Looks like he's comfortable already."

"Nn." Kai moved away from the kitten, trusting that it wouldn't be idiotic enough to run into the fire, and went to his desk. "I'll get you a ride back to the hotel. What was the name of it again?"

Ray gave him the name and then leaned back, crossing his arms. "So is this where you get your work done?"

Kai looked up sharply. "Of course not."

"Too comfortable for you?" The black haired blader teased.

There was a pause before Kai picked up the phone and dialed. He murmured into the receiver to low for Ray to understand exactly what he was saying and then hung up. "You'll have a ride back shortly."

"Should I go wait for the car?" Ray felt the distinct feeling of disappointment as it slowly rolled down his chest and landed heavily on his stomach. It was clear that Kai really wasn't going to keep him here longer, and was merely going to shove him out as soon as he got the chance.

"No." Kai moved back around the desk. "When they're ready they'll come get you."

"Ah." Ray looked around the room, flexing his hands as he felt the warmth returning to them.

"Why don't you-"

"Hey Kai." Ray suddenly looked at him, an idea sparking in his mind.

The other eyed him warily. "What?"

"Let's have a beybattle."

One gray eyebrow raised. "What?"

Ray grinned. "Yeah, let's have a battle. If you win, we won't bother you again, but if I win you've gotta at least hang out a bit before we all have to go back." He watched as Kai just stared at him, an incredulous expression on his face. "Oh c'mon, just one battle."

Kai turned away. "No."

"Afraid you're gonna lose? Lost your touch after all those years of just being a businessman?" Ray goaded him jokingly, his eyes bright and glittering in the firelight and a grin cocked on his face. "I can understand how you might be worried. I've been practicing every day, and you're just sitting here at a desk all the time... kinda makes me think that Dranzer might even be upset with you for neglecting her."

Kai didn't turn back around.

Ray shrugged. "Alright. If you're sure that's what you want to do. I'll just have to tell the others that you turned down the offer-" He stopped as Kai looked back at him, the maroon eyes narrowed just enough for a warning. The other grinned. "Then are you gonna take me up on my challenge? Whaddaya say, Kai? Battle with me? Just like old times, let's see who the real winner is. I bet it'll be me."

Kai chuckled, turning back around to smirk at Ray. "Well, if you really want to get your ass kicked that badly... then I accept your challenge." There was a knock on the door. "But not tonight. I have work to do." He strode over to the door and opened it, finding a chauffeur on the other side.

"I'm here for Master Ray." The man bowed low.

Kai turned to Ray. "Come back tomorrow. I'll have a car for you at 2."

"In the morning or the afternoon?" Ray joked, strolling to the door to stop and look at Kai, amused by the way things were going.

Kai frowned at him. "Use your head."

As soon as Ray stepped out of the room, the door was shut behind him. He smiled a little at the door before turning and walking away with the chauffeur. He'd gotten what he wanted in this step, now he just had to make sure that he got what he wanted again. His hand reached down to his pocket where Drigger sat snugly against his leg and he grimaced. Now he just had to win.

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**Author's Note:** There! Sorry that took so long guys! I got wicked busy with school. xx The main plot is coming, I swear. XD You'll see what I mean once the next couple chapters go up. :) The next chapter might be a bit shorter than the other ones, so I'm sorry about that, but the one right after that should go back to being relatively long again. :3 That is, if I can write a battle. . Anyway! I hope you enjoyed this little chapter. I know there isn't much RayxKainess in these but that's because they have to re-warm up to the idea... so deal with the fact this story has plot and isn't just smut. D:

Thanks for favorite-ing this if you did! I hope to see you all soon!

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	4. Let Them Dream

**Author's Corner:** Ug! So! Here I am. :D Again. I am so sorry for taking so long again, this past semester I had Effective Speaking and it nearly killed me. Thankfully, I got a B+ in the class, so now all I've got to do is keep up my grades! Why do I need to keep them up so high, you might ask? Well, I want to study abroad in Ireland. ^.~ So, that's what I'm goin' for. Anyway! Enough of my babbling, you want a chapter, don't you? Well hold on tight! Because you're in for a chapter alright! :3 (On a side note, did anyone else notice that I changed Kai's eyes from crimson to maroon? XD I wasn't paying attention, was I? I'll stick with maroon. :D)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters in Beyblade, nor do I own the setting that I'm working in, and the side characters belong to other people as well, so I'm sorry. I can't make Ray straight for you. Or Kai. Or Tyson. Or Max.

* * *

Let Them Dream

Kai leaned back in the leather chair, flicking his eyes to the window where the sun struggled to break through the thick, gray clouds. It was morning already. He dragged his hand through his hair and grimaced as he stood, stretching. The entire night had gone and he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. Well, that wasn't true. He had gone to bed at a reasonable hour, planning on getting up early and practicing with Dranzer just to prove that he wasn't out of sync with her, but a dream had woken him up not even an hour later. Kai squinted his eyes and then squeezed them shut, breathing in through clenched teeth before letting the breath out and slotting open his eyes. It was just a dream, it hadn't meant anything.

He wandered over to where the kitten was curled up in the biggest and most comfortable chair and scowled at it. It was the purring. The purring had woken him up. It had been a bad enough dream without him _purring_. Kai turned sharply and stalked over to the door of his study, yanking open the door and striding down the hallway, letting the feeling of the cold air sink into his skin. It was just a dream anyway, why was he so bent out of shape about it? But… _purring_? Even if the dream had the slightest possibility of becoming a reality, there was no way that _that_ could happen, no matter how…

Kai growled and wrenched open the door to the kitchen, startling the cooks that were in there.

"Oh, uh, Master Kai-"

"Get out."

"We were just preparing-"

"_OUT._"

The cooks and kitchen hands scurried out swiftly and Kai went over to the cupboards, opening them and frowning up at the many things in them. He grabbed the one thing that he knew how to make, coffee, and pulled it down to start up the bitter brew. He would need it to get through the day. He had gone without sleep before, so that thought wasn't something that bothered him, it was the thought of the battle that gnawed on the edges of his already irritated mind.

There was a creak as the door opened. A timid voice followed, "Master Kai?"

"Eh?" He turned and glared at the maid who trembled there. "What do you want?"

"Um, well. I… the kitten… where would you like his… uh… litter box and… food and…"

Kai narrowed his eyes at her, watching as her shoulders rounded and she fairly shrank a foot. When he was satisfied that she was properly frightened he answered coldly, "I will take care of that."

The maid nodded and quickly disappeared out the door, leaving the pale man alone once again. He turned back to the coffee and started it, breathing in the bitter scent of the nuts. The smell was welcome in his foggy mind of dreams and kittens and purring, bringing back the stark and cold reality of life. It was just a dream, it didn't mean anything at all.

---

Ray stretched under the warm blankets, feeling his muscles tense comfortably after a night of completely relaxed sleep. He opened his eyes slightly and gazed up at the ceiling where the dismal gray light of day was just beginning to show. Blinking a few times, the tanned young man rolled out of the bed and set his bare feet on the scruffy rug. Wiggling his toes as he yawned again, he glanced over at the clock. Ah, so he had slept in. Well, it had been a nice dream. A very nice dream. Smiling to himself, Ray stood up and stretched more, twisting his body to get the full effects of sleep out of his system.

The rest of the group was still asleep, a hodge-podge pile of limbs and appendages that stuck out at strange angles and was accompanied by strange sounds occasionally. Ray shook his head and smiled to himself as he began his ritual morning routine, remaining as quiet as he could (which was pretty quiet), and moving about on his heels and toes to ensure he didn't wake anyone up by carelessly bumping into something.

When the sun had finally peeked through the clouds, Ray had the curtains open and was leaning up against the window, gazing outward with a cup of tea in his hands. He would have had coffee, but he didn't want the shock of caffeine so early in the morning. Setting down the tea, he leaned over the table and picked up Drigger from where he was sitting. The worn sides caught and gleamed in the sunlight and Ray affectionately rubbed his fingers along the smooth sides.

"Well Drigger, looks like we'll have to prove that we're worth his time, huh?" The sunlight tweaked off of the bitbeast's picture, making the green eyes glint. Ray grinned. "Think you can beat Dranzer for me?" He rolled the blade in his hands and looked back out across the city, his eyes slotting as the sun slowly gained confidence and struck off the snow, causing the day to look brighter than it really was. Dranzer felt heavy and comfortable in his hands, and he tossed him in the air once before catching him carefully and dropping him into his pocket. "We'll have to make sure we beat him…"

There was rustling of blankets and a groan behind him, and Ray turned to see Kenny sit up and swim his way out of the two that were still sprawled about in bed. He fumbled for his glasses and put them on, squinting at Ray. "Oh… you're awake."

"I am." The black haired blader smiled and picked up his tea again, sipping it. "Are you?"

"Not really." Kenny struggled out of the sheets and stumbled onto the floor before scratching his sleep-mussed hair and tottering over to the table to sit in the glowing light.

Ray turned to look back outside.

"Who were you talking to?"

"Myself."

"About today?"

"Yep." Ray grinned down at Kenny, "I've gotta psych myself up for it, right?"

Kenny frowned at him and then nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess."

Silence was thrown over them before Ray stretched and set down his cup; the only bit of tea left was the dredges, dark and bitter at the bottom of the cup. "Well, I'm going to go practice. If they wake up, let 'em know not to start breakfast without me."

"Where are you going to practice out here? It's not like there are bey stadiums set up in random places…" Kenny was still fumbling with his hair and Ray chuckled.

"I'll go up to the roof, that's always a nice place to be." He threw on his jacket and snatched the ripcord that was laying on the tv. Glancing back at the tea, he quickly went over and downed the last bit of it, catching a cross between a grin and a grimace as it made its way down. "See ya."

"Later…"

---

Kai frowned darkly as Dranzer came back to him, her spinning coming to an abrupt stop as she came in contact with his glove. He looked down at her and checked the weight, the balance, and the smoothness of her figure. She was as perfect as she had been when he had first put her away, thinking to never pick up blading again. Tracing along the outside of the blade, Kai grimaced and set the blade up again, standing on the edge of one of the many stadiums in his mansion. He hesitated for a minute before yanking the cord out from Dranzer, watching as she flew into the curved bowl and skidded against the metal, causing sparks to fly up. He smirked slightly as the bowl began its routine again, causing random spikes to thrust up into unwary blades. Well, he wasn't unwary.

"Dranzer!" He could almost feel her movements inside himself, watching as she followed his eyes and slipped easily around the precarious points, spinning into a safe zone and then darting out again as if to prove that she could take the heat. Kai crossed his arms and watched her, silently communicating with his partner after years of silence. The only problem was near the end, when the bowl was about to give up trying to impale the blade and recede into its usual smooth surface. Kai narrowed his maroon eyes as it happened. There was a little halt, a slight pause on a spot that he _knew_ a spike was waiting under, then the bowl would attack, and Dranzer would fly through the air and back into his hand. There was a sound of metal on metal as Dranzer allowed herself to be hit again, just when the end would have come, and Kai grabbed her out of the air and scowled at the picture of the bitbeast.

"What's wrong with you?" Only a slight shimmer was his response, a small movement of flames and feathers as it seemed the picture turned to stare at him sullenly before becoming nothing more than an image again. Kai growled quietly, turning and jumping from his spot to the ground below. His feet hit the concrete compactly and he glanced over to where the kitten was watching him curiously, its wide, curious eyes stuck on his form. "What are you looking at?"

The kitten just mewed and hopped up, trotting on the unsteady feet of a young cat over to him. Kai frowned at it as it rubbed up against him, its weight barely enough to move his pants. With a sigh, he bent down and lifted the skinny thing into his hand, holding it up so they were face to face.

"You're a nuisance." The kitten just reached forward with its tiny paws and placed them on his mouth, purring loudly. He stared at it and it stared back, completely happy as it dangled there purring. Kai sighed again, looking down at Dranzer for a moment before walking out of the basement. He was done practicing; things would happen as they happened. If Dranzer didn't want to win, she wouldn't win, and no amount of him practicing would convince her otherwise. A thin grin settled over his lips, though, as Kai walked down the hall. "I have a feeling, Dranzer, that you're not going to want to lose…"

---

"Hey Kai."

The cheerful voice only belonged to one person, and Kai turned to face Ray where he stood. "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon? You're so formal." His former teammate grinned as he strolled into the room and looked around, as if that would change the way it had looked the night before.

"You learn to be formal when running a business."

Ray chuckled and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I'll bet it does. That's why I could never run a business. I don't think I could learn to be so… stiff."

Kai looked over Ray, silently agreeing that he didn't think the other could manage the formalities that it took to run a business. He was much too casual. "It's not stiff. It's courtesy." Ray laughed, causing Kai to frown. "What?"

"Oh, nothing." The other waved him off with a chuckle.

"What?"

"Nothing, really."

"Nothing wouldn't cause you to laugh."

"Touché." He grinned. "I was just thinking of what Tyson would say if you said you were just showing courtesy to people."

"Well he's not here. It doesn't matter what he thinks."

"I know, but it amused me."

Kai narrowed his eyes on the still chortling Ray, wondering how that could be amusing. And wondering how he could be so relaxed still when their battle would determine whether or not he stuck around to be annoyed by the others. There was a touch of annoyance in his voice as he turned away. "I'll bring you to a fair dish."

"Fair? You still think you can beat me, Kai?"

"I beat you before, didn't I?" This time it was his turn to smirk, tossing the expression over his shoulder to see a gentle smile on Ray's face. Great, he just brought up more memories.

"Yeah, well… this time it'll be different."

"If I remember correctly, I even knocked you out." Kai turned around again, a faint trace of an arrogant smirk crossing his face. "Are you sure you can afford to be knocked out in this foreign place? With Tyson and the others to look out for?"

Ray raised an eyebrow, a glint in his golden eyes that could only be taken as a challenge. "That was years ago, Kai. If I'm correct, you haven't touched Dranzer since you stopped being part of our team, right? That means I've got an advantage over you."

"Practicing every day might make you better at controlling your blade, but you have to have a good partnership with your bitbeast in order to make it work better."

"And Dranzer isn't mad at you for pushing her aside to be a pencil-pusher?"

Kai leaned back, looking at Ray with a lazy smile. "We'll just have to see, won't we?"

Ray stared for a moment, taken by surprise for some odd reason, before he grinned back. "Indeed we will."

* * *

**Author's Corner:** Whee! That turned out to be much longer than I intended. Sorry for the slips of characters out of character… I know I did it this time. . I haven't watched Beyblade in a while…. and… yeah. So! Fight chapter next! Stay tuned and you'll get a sweet fight! :D … I've just gotta figure out how to write it and who's gonna win. o.o;;


	5. It's Not Just a Game

**Author's Corner:** Hey all! What's this? An update so soon after the other chapter? You're kidding, right? Right! No no, I'm not kidding at all. I'm actually updating this right off! Why? Because I really want to get this battle out of the way. XD Hahah. I was watching episodes and everything to day [btw, for RayKai lovers, the Beyblade movie is utterly disappointing, they hardly have ANY action at all in that D:], and taking notes on the battles—okay, no notes were made on _paper_ but I was thinking of them while watching the fights—and I was making sure I had the characters more firmly in my mind. Actually, I think I've been doin' alright with them. So! Anyway! Here is the long awaited chapter five!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of Beyblade or its affiliates. I'm just a poor college student, trying to make a living by scraping up her brain and coming up with interesting scenarios for the characters to play out. Oh wait… I'm not getting paid for this? Then I'm just a VERY poor college student bringing love and happiness to those who want fanfiction that's at least punctuated correctly….

* * *

It's Not Just a Game

Ray stepped into the cooler room and blinked in the bright light that shone down on him. The room glinted with metal and strange shapes, and he ventured farther in after Kai, following the stoic and silent man until he finally realized what it was he was looking at. It was an entire amusement park, only… tiny. Or, tiny compared to how big an amusement park really was. He leaned over a Ferris Wheel that stretched up almost to his shoulders and grinned at it, venturing a glance at Kai.

"You have way too much time on your hands, Kai."

"I didn't make it." Kai was pulling out Dranzer, testing her weight in his hands as he watched Ray wander around the scale-sized park, poking at this and that.

"Then your company has too much money to spare." Ray returned with a laugh, turning around. "This is amazing though." He reached forward to touch the tracks of a miniature roller coaster.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you."

"Hm?" The cat-like man looked up, his finger just centimeters away from the gleaming silver tracks. A second later, a car darted over the area, seeming to come out of no where as it zipped along merrily. Ray snatched his hand back just in time to miss it being run over and frowned at it. "Was that…"

Kai let something of a grin cross his lips. "Razorblades. They're on the edges of the car."

"That's dangerous!"

"For anyone idiotic enough to actually think this was a toy."

Ray frowned for a moment before shrugging and standing straight again. "I guess we can't let Tyson in here, huh?"

Kai grimaced at that. "I hope to never let him in my home."

The other chuckled and stepped back out of the park, walking on smooth concrete until he was standing across from Kai. "You might have a problem with that once I win." He pulled out Drigger and fished around for his ripcord.

"Don't sound so confident."

"I'm very confident." Ray flashed a grin up to Kai, fiddling with Drigger until he was ready. "I take it this is where we're going to be doing our battle?"

"Yes."

Suddenly Ray smiled again. "This reminds me of when we went up against Ozuma and the Saint Sheilds… they had us in an amusement park… and Drigger…" His eyes trailed over to where the Ferris Wheel was slowly spinning.

"You lost against them and you think you can beat me?" Kai barked sharply, clicking Dranzer into place and standing ready, his sharp voice was enough to yank Ray back from the memories of their past and into his home again.

Ray looked down at Drigger and then raised his eyes to Kai. "Of course."

"Then prove it." Kai watched as Ray calmly got into the stance, a change of his eyes and grin coming over him as the other got ready for a battle. That was more like it. Kai wanted this to be a good battle, though it irked him slightly that Ray seemed completely relaxed and well rested while he still had the lingering effects of coffee and a bad night and the memory of a dream that he really didn't want to think about. "Are you ready?"

"More than ready, Kai." Ray grinned. "One!"

"Two!"

"Three! Let it-"

"-rip!"

There was the familiar, if nostalgic sound of the ripcords and then the sound of each blade as it met the faux ground of the amusement park and whirled off in opposite directions. Kai felt Dranzer as she darted around the trees gracefully, spinning on a dime and whipping back around to the white blur that was Drigger. He didn't spare a glance up as he felt her picking up speed at the prospect of actually battling something other than an automated dish and a tiny grin cocked up the corner of his mouth as his eyes narrowed very slightly. "Go Dranzer!" The blue blade whirled forward only to cut into thin air and smack into the wall of a plastic vending stand where Drigger had been spinning idly.

"You'll have to do better than _that_ Kai!"

He barely glanced up, catching the other poised above the beginning battle just like himself, a foolish grin plastered on his face as his golden eyes were fixed on Drigger and Dranzer. He was faster than before, but that didn't matter. Speed meant nothing against Dranzer, they had beaten the speed before, and it was only the beginning of the match. "Heh." He returned his gaze to Dranzer and watched as the chase began around the park, weighing in his mind the movements and dips and spins of Drigger. The way he was moving… was he heavier than usual? Kai frowned and focused his attention on the white blade. "Dranzer! Now!"

Ray grinned in relief as Drigger again easily dipped out of the way of the blazing Dranzer, zipping up and around a merry-go-round to perch on the top. Dranzer was quick to follow, only to kick up on an edge and shoot into the air. "Drigger! Watch out!" He winced as the blue blade came down on its edge at his blade, knocking the white tiger from its place and sending it to spin in the air until landing on the tracks of the roller coaster. _Careful Drigger…_ he thought to the blade as it flew down the tracks, and he could almost feel the comforting weight of the large animal, as if it rested behind him. They would be fine.

He was secretly glad he had kept the weight and magnet in the bottom of Drigger, the metal amusement park meant that it would be easier for him to stick to things and stay in the game. At the moment, Drigger and Dranzer were doing some kind of complicated dance on the roller coaster, darting in and out from one another; each time they hit, sparks flew into the air, lighting the room more than it was and filling the air with a grinding sound as they clashed. Ray gritted his teeth as he noticed the ferocity that Dranzer was attacking with. She had been pent up so long, was she going to take out her frustration on him and Drigger? Well, he couldn't have that. "Drigger!"

Kai scowled as Drigger leaped from the coaster and jetted through the air, landing on the Ferris Wheel. "Dranzer! Don't let him get away!" But Drigger was too fast, and he was gone again as Dranzer followed, leading her on a merry chase around the park. Kai scowled and looked sharply up at Ray, who was following the battle with his eyes. "This isn't just a game, Ray!"

Golden eyes lifted to meet cold marron, and Ray grinned with a hint of hardness lining the expression. "I'm well aware of that Kai." He knew what rested on this battle, and he knew that he didn't want to lose.

"Then stop playing around and get serious! Dranzer!"

"You asked for it, Kai! DRIGGER! Let's show him what we've really got!"

The white blade stopped in mid-flight and whirled around, crashing headlong into Dranzer. The impact caused a loud crash as the two powerful and frustrated bitbeasts clashed. Dust erupted from the area that had gotten pummeled in the collision and blinding light flew out from the spinning tops as the two creatures exploded from their confined spaces and spun and twisted in the air. Red and white clashed in the dust as the two bitbeasts did battle above their respective blades, continuing the complicated dance of power and speed as their bladers stood anxiously by, feeling the power running through their bodies and draining them of their energy. Dranzer sent a powerful slam into Drigger, causing the tiger to fly back against a wall; but the white tiger used the wall and bounded off it, slamming his shoulder into the breast of the phoenix and crashing them both into the ground.

Dust and bits of the flat stadium flew into the air, and both Ray and Kai held up an arm to ward off the mess as it swept out over them. Without wasting the time, Ray ran forward a few steps, feeling the power from Drigger as it trembled along his nerves and leeched his energy. His eyes searched the dust cloud for the blades, and his ears sought in the clattering of falling pieces of broken amusement park the sound of Drigger and Dranzer. As the dust cleared, he grinned to see that the blades were still at it, clashing together within the crater that had been created.

He could see Kai, out of the corner of his eye, as the other became clear from the smoke as well, but didn't raise his eyes from the blades. One blink, one false move, and Kai would take that moment for victory. _C'mon Drigger! We've been practicing for this!_ His eyes pleaded with the white blade as it did a dance so fast around Dranzer that it was nothing but a pale white line. Dranzer met him hit for hit, the spinning blue ribbon that was Kai's blade weaving in and out of the white with Drigger.

_Just a little longer Drigger, just a little more, then we can show him._ Ray clenched his hand, eyes narrowing on the blades as he searched for an opening, anything, anything at all, that he could use to take Kai by surprise.

He was pleasantly surprised. Really. Kai kept his eyes keenly on the battle as the blades battled it out, fighting head to head for victory. Ray didn't seem as wiped out as he had been in his other battle against him, he wasn't breathing as hard, not nearly as stressed. Or perhaps he had just learned to mask it better. It had been a long time, too long, since he had felt the effects of his energy being drained by the powerful phoenix when she fought, and he continuously flexed his hand to make sure he still had use of his appendages. Of course, he hadn't moved his gaze from the battle, not wanting to give that satisfaction of a blind moment to Ray. He wasn't sure exactly what he was battling for, but it wasn't to keep them from seeing him anymore. No, now he was battling to prove that he could still beat Ray. He felt as if the other had progressed much farther than he had been those years before, he was better, much better. A more challenging opponent. For a moment, Kai regretted his choice to put Dranzer on the shelf, regretting that he hadn't kept up his training, since now he had to push farther than he had to before and he could feel the strain much heavier on his limbs.

"There!"

The sound of Ray's voice snapped Kai out of his regret, and he couldn't do anything as Dranzer spun faster than his eyes could follow, the tip of his edges dipping just under Dranzer before smacking up and sending her flying into the air.

"Drigger! Now! Let's use our Special Attack!"

Kai found himself gritting his teeth against the indignation Dranzer was shrieking at him in his mind, through his body, as Drigger used the fallen amusement park items to leap up after her and slam into her one more time, the roar of the white tiger reverberating off the walls as a flash of white exploded from one blade into the other, sending Dranzer flying even higher into the air, spinning out of control. He glanced at Ray as the other set back, a grin on his strained and sweating face, and he could see the effort it had taken to control and execute that move.

"How's that Kai?"

The man looked pleased with himself as their eyes met, and Kai just smirked. "The battle's not over yet."

Drigger dropped to the ground between them, spinning triumphantly, and Ray looked puzzled. "What?"

"Keep your eyes on the battle Ray, it's not over until one blade stops spinning…" He swiveled his head up and shouted to the falling Dranzer, "It's not over yet!"

There was a swift and violent heated wind, originating from Dranzer as she appeared around the blue blade in a nose dive, headed right for the ground- right on top of Drigger.

* * *

**Author's Corner:** Y'know, I was going to finish the battle right then and there and let you know who won, but then I decided… hey, why not leave it off at a cliff hanger? :D So! That's what you've got. God. I tell you. Dictating a beybattle isn't as easy as it looks on tv. D: I don't think it's nearly as good as it could be…. but I tried? _ Find me a good battle and show me how to write about it, this just seems lame and not nearly as good or interesting as it should be. ; . ; I'm sorry for the horrible fail battle! Here! Have cookies and the knowledge that the next chapter is already started for your appeasers…. #hands out cookies# Hope you like the chapter enough to keep reading! I'll see you next time!

[and for those that caught it, yes, I forgot their attacks, so you've got silent attacks… they were using their braaaaiiiin talk to communicate the attack they wanted to use. XD Yes, we'll go with that.]


	6. Defeat or not?

**Author's Corner:** Dear heavens, _another_ chapter? What's wrong with me? I just keep writing. Well, I guess that's good for you guys, huh? XD I promise the updates won't be nearly this regular when I get back to college, so you must praaaaise me for all my good hard work. :D I really should be making that InuYasha costume for my little brother… but I don't have all his measurements yet, so I suppose, until I can do that, I'll write this. Plus, the sooner I write this the sooner I can start my Kaiba one! :D Oh, I should work on that one-shot epilogue for my Gravitation fic.. hmmmmm…..

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of Beyblade; that means, none of the characters, none of the bitbeats, none of the scenery, even the food doesn't belong to me. D: It's tragic, yes. But I _do_ have artistic license! Which means I can create a story just for you! Enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

Defeat- or not?

"Drigger! Look out!"

Kai felt a seeping satisfaction that the cry was too late, for not even a second later there was the distinct sound of Dranzer cracking against Drigger, her cry loud and piercing in the echoing room at the final attack; red feathers burst from the blades with another wave of heat, this one strong enough to make Kai stagger back. He didn't have to look to see what was happening; the scene painted itself in his mind as if he were watching from Dranzer's eyes. She dove at the white tiger, beak outstretched in her final cry as they came in contact with one another. Drigger had turned and met her head on, but he was unbalanced caught like that and they both crumbled to the ground together. The blue blade bit into the white, knocking it askew and sending it flying off into some random direction that was probably near Ray. He would be out of the stadium, and at an angle that wouldn't allow the cat to catch his feet. Kai chuckled to himself; who said that cats _always_ land on their feet?

His hand outstretched, Ray caught Drigger as he smacked into his palm, not even spinning anymore. The dust dispersed around them and he saw Dranzer as she sputtered where she spun and finally died out, clattering to a finish on the broken and rough terrain. The energy slowly drained from his body and he grinned at Kai, keeping himself standing even as he felt like he wanted to crumple into a sitting position and just laugh at the relief of the battle being over. "Well. I _almost_ beat you."

"Almost doesn't cut it." Kai walked forward, a distinct slowness to his movements, as if his body was numb. The only problem with what Ray said was that it was true. If Ray had kept his head in the battle just that moment longer, just to be sure that Dranzer was going to come down wrong, Kai was positive that the other would've won. He bent down to pick up the blue blade, a small smile flitting across his face as he saw the proud way she bore her damage. She was a fighter. How had he ignored her for five years? Then again, he supposed five years wasn't that long compared to an ancient beast like herself. For him, it would have seemed a lifetime to wait, sitting patiently in that cell for the time he could come out again. _I'm sorry my friend…_

Glancing up at where Ray had finally plopped himself down, Kai made a disgruntled face. The man was sprawled out on the wrecked ground, his hands propping himself up behind him and his head just laying back. He looked like a good kick would knock him over, and though Kai was tempted, he just spoke gruffly, "If you're going to pass out, don't do it here."

Ray opened one eye just enough to see the half-blurred form of Kai and grinned. "I'm not gonna pass out. Just catching my breath. _You_ look like you're going to pass out."

Kai frowned at that, pulling himself back up to stand straighter. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a little fatigued." Ray snorted, causing Kai to frown more. "Just get up."

"Alright, alright." Slowly the tanned Chinese man got to his feet, pulling Drigger with him as he stretched his body. "I swear, sometimes I wish that battling with bitbeasts was as simple as battling with regular spinning tops… I still don't quite understand how it works, but each battle seems like we were just run through the grinder." He laughed a little, running his dust-covered hand through his dust-covered hair.

"Nn." Kai made his way across the broken amusement park slowly, as if he was meandering down a street and had all the time in the world. In reality, he was feeling exactly what Ray had described. He wanted to sit down, and fast, but unlike Ray, he wouldn't show that kind of weakness. So he walked, strolling past Ray with his hands in his pockets. "The battle is over. Come on."

"Are you gonna kick me out now?" Ray grinned as he followed Kai, but his eyes were serious, curious, and expectant.

What did Ray expect? Did he expect that he was going to kick him out, right now? Or was it that Ray was expecting him to just let him stay, and say forget the entire thing, that they could visit, or that they could stick around…? Kai scowled to himself and kept walking, not responding to the question. He should kick him out. That was their deal. He won. But he couldn't forget the only reason that he had won was because the stupid ex-teammate had left his attention elsewhere at the very end. If he hadn't, if he had just kept his eyes on the blades… Had he done it on purpose? That thought hadn't occurred to him. What if Ray had lost on purpose? But what point would that serve except to boost his ego? And not Ray's ego, _his_ ego. Kai frowned. If Ray had lost on purpose then the battle would have gone to him anyway. It was a fluke that he had won. By all rights he shouldn't have.

_That_ thought grated on his nerves. He shouldn't have won. He didn't win by his efforts or his knowledge, or the fact that he had been practicing all the time. He won because Ray wasn't paying attention and although that would still make it Ray's fault for losing, Kai felt the gloom as it settled around him and muffled everything else. Even in the light of the lamps that lined the hallway, he felt as if it was dark. It was not pleasant to think that he won because of a fluke.

"Kai?"

Kai glanced over to Ray, who was still watching him expectantly, his golden cat-like eyes glowing in the dimly lit hallway. With a grimace and a quick jerk of his head back around, Kai answered, "One week."

"What?"

"You can stay one week, but then you and the others better get out of my sight."

Ray raised his eyebrows at Kai as he moved away, faster now, but still with the same heavy movements. They could visit then? Well, that was unexpected. He had really thought that Kai would kick them out without a single thought. What had changed his mind? Trotting after Kai, Ray mused over the battle. It had been his own fault that he had lost; he got cocky at the end, so it was a legitimate battle. There had to be something else going on in Kai's mind. But what was going on in his mind? He was tempted to ask why Kai suddenly had changed the decision to let them visit, but decided against it; instead he smiled and said, "Alright. But I'll make this fair."

"Fair?" Kai was pulling open the doors to his study and he glanced back to raise an eyebrow at Ray.

"Yeah, fair. I won't bring the others here. We'll just have to arrange things so that you come out to see us."

Kai frowned. "How is that fair?"

"You won't have Tyson messing with your stuff. Or Kenny analyzing everything he comes across. Or the questions from Max when he realizes that this is the same place we had tried to rescue you from all those years ago."

Each thing that Ray brought up made Kai grimace, and grimace more as each was piled on top of the other. "Fine." He muttered, moving into the study and heading straight to his chair. The kitten had curled up on it and was fast asleep, purring lightly even as Kai picked it up and set it on the floor.

Ray grinned as he followed. "So does he have a name?"

"Who?"

"The kitten." Ray had bent down to sweep up the little creature into his arms, cradling its tiny body and tickling its feet as if it were some baby.

Kai shook his head. "He doesn't need a name."

Ray gave him a funny look. "Of course he does."

"Then you name him."

"Alright!"

He sounded much too happy to be able to name a street cat, and Kai turned himself to his papers, pretending that he was right back to work when in reality he was trying to relax. His fingers weren't working well enough to grip a pencil, and the papers fell out of his hands when he tried to hold them. Kai glanced up at Dranzer where she sat, smugly it seemed, on his desk. Her eyes glinted in a way that could be mischievous and he scowled. It seemed he hadn't stopped scowling since the end of the match.

"How about… Tigger!"

Kai coughed, appalled. "What?"

"Tigger. He's a cartoon character."

"It's too close to Drigger."

"Oh, I guess it is pretty close, isn't it?"

"Find another name."

"Hmm… maybe…" Ray held up the sleepy kitten and studied him, "Sprig."

"Sprig…?" Kai raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. He's tiny, and he's spry. Kinda wiry… like a twig, but twig is too… twiggish. Sprig!"

Kai looked at the little cat as it flailed slightly, trying to catch a hold of Ray's hair. He watched as Ray eased him back into his arms and let the kitten climb over his shirt and onto his shoulder where it sat and looked around, blinking its sleepy owlish eyes at the room. "Sprig." He still wasn't sure about the name, but it would do.

"I think it works." Ray carefully walked over to a chair and eased into it, sighing as his body relaxed against the plush seat. "I should leave soon."

"I know a better way to make it fair."

"Hm?" Ray had closed his eyes, and now he opened them sleepily to see Kai staring at him and the kitten intently.

"For you and the… others… to stay in town and… visit…" He seemed to be having trouble getting some of the words out, "I want another battle."

"Another… but you won." Ray blinked mildly, sitting up and leaning over the side of the chair casually.

"Nn." Kai folded his hands together and leaned forward, looking every inch like a business man. "Are you going to decline this chance to show me that you can defeat me?"

"Well…" Ray paused and thought about it. "What do I get if I win?" He grinned.

Kai's eyes narrowed slightly, frowning. "My address."

"Deal!" Ray leaned back in the chair. "What do you want if you win?"

"I'll think of something."

* * *

**Author's Corner:** So, I got bored halfway through and can't think of anything to type at the end of this chapter. XD I don't feel like finishing their conversation and dictating Ray leaving and all those nitty-gritty details, they make for boringness, I think… So! You've got another chapter. Sorry that this one isn't as interesting as the others. I hope you got a few chuckles out of the naming, at least! I'll try to update again, but I think I ran out of my steam for now. :3 Remember! Lots of love and praise and affection and you're more likely to get another chapter soon! Especially since I can't think of anything to do with this at the moment, so the update won't be tomorrow, or the next day or even the day after that. Sorreh~ Hope you enjoyed it!


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